


From Handshake to Hug

by RebaK1tten



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-28
Updated: 2012-10-28
Packaged: 2017-11-17 05:49:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,002
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/548282
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RebaK1tten/pseuds/RebaK1tten
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>For Blythechild's prompt in Comment Fic in LJ. Criminal Minds, Hotch + Reid, the day that Hotch replaced his standard handshake with a hug.  She didn't have a preference for friendship or slash, so a little of both.  Three short stories.</p>
            </blockquote>





	From Handshake to Hug

Option #1  - Friends

Hotch isn’t one to easily show his emotions.  Well, unless the emotion is anger.  Or annoyance.  It’s not that he doesn’t feel the happier, warmer emotions; normally, he just keeps his feelings very close to his chest.

Reid wasn’t surprised on his first day back to work after the anthrax scare to get a hug from some of his team mates.  After all, he’d been out for almost three weeks, including the few days he was kept at the hospital.   Garcia had cookies and hugs for him, Morgan and Prentiss argued over who was allowed to get him coffee and even Rossi gave his shoulder a squeeze and said, “Nice to see you back, Doctor.”

Hotch had been in a budget meeting all morning.  Striking while the iron is hot, as it’s known.  When your team has saved the eastern seaboard from a potential WMD disaster, it’s the time to ask for more funding.  Or that’s Hotch’s pitch to the directors.

So it’s around noon when Hotch comes out of his meeting and sees half of his team gathered around Reid’s desk, arguing over who gets the honor of bringing him lunch.  Hotch had a successful morning and now his missing team member is back at work, bringing them up to full staff.  He approaches the group and everyone looks surprised when Hotch ignores Reid’s extended hand and pulls him in for a quick hug.  “Welcome back, Reid.”

 

Option #2  - Slash

It takes a moment for Hotch to focus.  The room gradually comes into focus and he recognizes lots of tubes and the usual, beeping noises that mean he’s in a goddamn hospital.  Right, he remembers, they went to arrest the unsub, who had set up a trap that was supposed to keep the women he’d kidnapped from escaping.  Instead, Hotch apparently triggered the trap.  Which is why he’s now in a hospital bed, attached to a heart monitor, and with a fierce headache.

“Hotch?  You awake?”

Hotch looks towards the familiar voice by the side of his bed where Reid is yawning and rubbing his eyes, looking at Hotch curiously.  “You had us scared.  You got quite a shock and actually you coded in the ambulance.  So how are you feeling?”

“Umm, okay I think.”  Hotch takes a mental inventory and replies, “Head hurts.  Muscles hurt.  Everything hurts.”  He rubs his head gently, trying to smooth down his hair.  “Where is everyone else?”

“Morgan and JJ flew home this morning.  Prentiss and Rossi are at the station, finishing up paperwork.” 

Reid smiles slightly and Hotch notices how red his eyes are.  “Were you hurt?” he asks.

“Me?  No, for once.   But I’m not used to you getting hurt though,” Reid replies.  He reaches for a water glass with a bent straw and offers it to Hotch.  “You must be thirsty, try just a sip.”  Hotch drinks until Reid pulls the glass away with a chuckle.  “Don’t be greedy just yet.”

“Why are you here, Spencer?  Not at home or at the station?  Did you sleep here?” They’re fair questions and if he needs to, he can pretend that he was still recovering from his injury or simply doesn’t remember asking.

Reid takes a breath before he answers.  “Well…Morgan went back because Strauss said she needed someone for a meeting.  And JJ went back to her family.  And I’m not at the station because Rossi said that my palpable concern was both annoying and distracting.  So he threw me out.”  He looks at Hotch almost shyly and quickly looks away.

“Personally, I find your palpable concern both comforting and very welcome.  Thanks for being here,” Hotch leans back against his pillows and shuts his eyes for a second.  Being electrocuted is exhausting.

“Hotch?  Aaron?” Spencer whispers.  “You should sleep.  Do you want me to leave?”

“You don’t have to, but you might have some place to go.  It can’t be restful sleeping in that chair.  But I told you…I find you being here comforting.” Hotch opens his eyes enough to see Reid’s huge grin.  “Come here,” Hotch says and pats the side of his bed.

Reid carefully sits down next to Hotch, avoiding tubes and wires.  “Yeah?”

Hotch sits up, just as carefully, and gives Reid a one-armed hug.  “When I’m out, I think we should go to dinner and talk.  Don’t you?”

 

 

Option #3  Rossi/Reid & Friends

The fall evening is warm, the yard is lit by thousands of sparkling white lights and Spencer has lost count of how many bottles of champagne their 20 closest friends have gone through. 

Aaron comes over with two full glasses and hands one to Spencer.  “You’re without a glass.  I was told by Dave that’s not allowed.”

Spencer shrugs and sips.  “Not sure why he’s so pushy about it.  He’s established I’m easy.”  As soon as he says it, he looks shocked and sputters, “I’m…I mean… oh crap, I’m sorry.”

Aaron just laughs and replies, “Maybe you don’t need anything more to drink.  But you look happy and that’s important.”  Aaron looks out at the guests talking, laughing and dancing.  “You’re good together.  I was a little skeptical at first.  The age difference and the queue of ex-wives.  But you two balance each other and I’m really happy for you both.”

“Thank you.  And thanks for saying that.  Even on our wedding day, I’m still not sure people understand that part.”  He shrugs and has another drink, then quietly muffles a small burp.   “But I am happy.  And Dave’s happy.   And it’s a good party, isn’t it?”

“It’s a great party, Spencer.  Congratulations and best wishes,” Aaron says and pulls him into a hug.

Spencer lets himself be hugged for a bit before he pulls away.  He gets a lot of hugs from Dave’s family, they’re all very huggy.  But it’s still something he had to learn, although the alcohol helps.  “Thanks, Aaron.  Oh, and as a warning -- Dave says the next wedding here is Beth and yours.”


End file.
